The German president says he will not be resigning despite a growing media scandal.

In a TV interview, Christian Wulff says he has done nothing illegal, amid claims he tried to get a newspaper to drop an embarrassing story on a loan he received.

"I am keen to fulfill my duties," he said. "I am in office for a five-year term and after that I intend to present a record that I was a good, successful president, doing my job with joy and conviction. And I know that I have done nothing illegal, although not everything I did was right."